


Dance

by Steveuschrist



Series: John and His Bat [15]
Category: Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Batsy the Catsy, Christmas Fluff, Dancing, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, First Christmas, First Dance, Gotham's elite are terrible people, I Tried, I'm sorry this is so bad, It's ok though, Kissing, M/M, No One Killed Anyone, Post-Episode 5, The Enemy Within, i just wanted them to dance and now this, society sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 19:15:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17147537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steveuschrist/pseuds/Steveuschrist
Summary: It's their first Christmas together, and John's never danced before.





	Dance

Winter in Gotham always came in rather quickly a few days into November. The last of the leaves would fall off the trees, it would get even grayer and cloudier, and nights would bring frost for the morning. 

Bruce always put up the decorations on the manor right after Thanksgiving, when Christmas season really began. He’d gotten into the habit from helping Alfred when he was younger. Sure, they could just pay the people who maintained the grounds extra to do it for them, but they liked to keep their tradition for themselves. 

John had never had a Christmas before that he could remember. In Arkham, if you were good, the best Christmas gift you got was candy or chocolate, and it wasn’t even really the good stuff. 

“Bruce, when’d you stop believing in Santa?” John asked, holding out one of the many strings of lights for Bruce to put up outside the manor. 

Bruce glanced over at him. It was below freezing outside, and Bruce’s cheeks were tinted pink from the cold. He was wearing a black beanie that covered all of his hair. “Santa? Oh, maybe 7. I figured out how chimneys worked that year, and, well, that’s all I needed to put two and two together.” 

John gave him a tiny smile. “You were spoiled for Christmas, I bet. And your birthday.” 

Bruce shrugged as he draped the lights over one of the bushes. “I.. yeah. I guess I was. I’ve always had a lot more than most people. I guess I’m bad at being a spoiled rich kid- I never wanted anything for Christmas, really.” 

“And you still don’t.” John replied, dramatically rolling his eyes. Getting a gift for the man who had everything wasn’t easy! John had bought him a blue beanie, one to match his eyes, but he felt like it wasn’t enough. 

“Oh my god you’re not going to let this go. You don’t need to get me anything.” Bruce shook his head. “..Actually, wait, I know exactly what I want.”

John perked up. “You do?”

“Yeah, I want you to stop worrying about getting me a gift.” Bruce smirked, and John’s shoulders dropped. “John, I don’t want anything. I don’t need anything.” 

John huffed. “I’ll think of something, I’m sure. ..Wait, did you get me something?”

“Well.. yes.” 

“Bruce! Agh, that’s cheating!” John frowned, crossing his arms. “I’m easy to shop for, you can get me anything. You’re not easy to shop for at all, I have no idea what to get you.” 

Bruce turned to him, taking John’s hands into his own. “John. As far as you remember, you’ve spent your life in a hospital. You barely had anything to call your own. My whole life I’ve been surrounded by luxuries and money, I didn’t have to earn any of that. I was born into it.”

He brushed his knuckles against John’s cheek. “What I’m trying to say is that the two of us come from two totally different walks of life. I’m not expecting you to get me anything for Christmas, or my birthday, or our anniversary. You’ve already adapted to life out here so quickly, and I know some things are still overwhelming. And I don’t need you to buy me material goods to show your love.” 

John stared at him for a moment. “I.. I guess all the marketing really got to me.” 

“Christmas is an excuse for companies to make more money, that’s why they start advertising in September.” Bruce kissed his forehead. “Come on, let’s finish with the decorations. The party is tomorrow and I don’t want to be running around like too much of an idiot.” 

John picked up the rest of the lights from the bush and handed them to Bruce. “Oh, right. The charity thing. ...Wait, there won’t be a magician or something, right?”

***

Charity was a good cause. Of course it was. That was the only reason why John was in a room full of snuffy people who he didn’t know. He was glad that people were donating- he’d even lost track of how much they’d raised- but after being with so many people for only an hour he was getting tired of the event. 

He managed to wiggle his way over to a table in the corner and promptly sat down. He’d also lost track of Bruce after only twenty minutes. For a guy so tall and handsome, he was always pretty good at blending in. 

The crowds had increased as time passed, and John had shaken the hands of many random and important people. He still wasn’t one of ‘them’, and he never would be, but they’d just have to accept that. 

He was getting comfortable in his chair, trying to find Bruce in the crowd. After a few minutes he managed to spot him, talking to a couple. They were a fair distance away from each other, but somehow they managed to lock eyes for a brief moment, and John gave him a little wave. 

He could tell that Bruce was slightly uncomfortable. He was holding himself in an odd way, which was likely killing his shoulders. John wasn’t sure if a rescue mission would even be possible, but after about a minute of debate, Bruce was walking away from the couple. He was able to make a direct beeline for John, cutting through the crowd. 

John held out a hand as Bruce stopped in front of him. Bruce intertwined their fingers, putting the wineglass he’d been holding down on the table. 

“How’s the charity?” John asked. 

“It’s.. good. It’s always good.” Bruce answered after a moment. John sighed softly. 

“You look tired, babe. You need a drink.” 

Bruce gave him a soft chuckle. “The last thing I need right now is to have another drink. I’m getting close to tipsy and it won’t end well if I end up that way.” 

“Then stay here with me.” John said, and before Bruce could reply, John had hopped up, pulling over the seat next to him, and gestured for Bruce to sit. “Don’t make me push you. I’m supposed to be acting civilized.” 

Bruce sighed softly, then took his seat next to John. “Thanks for looking out for me.” 

“You look like you need about 40 hours of sleep.” John replied. “Of course I’m gonna look after you. You won’t take care of yourself so I gotta do it for you.” 

They sat in silence, and John noticed the room shifted as some people moved away from its center. He tilted his head, and after a moment of listening, he could hear faint music. He glanced over in the corner and saw a quartet playing something he didn’t recognize. 

He looked back over to the center of the room, noticing that a few couples were dancing to the song. 

John stood up and faced Bruce, dramatically bowing lowly and holding out his hand. He looked up at him. “May I have this dance?” 

Bruce raised his eyebrows. “Uh, what?”

“Do I need to say it in French? Je ne parle pas français, mi amor?”

“You know you just said..” Bruce shook his head, a small smile coming to his lips. He stood and took John’s hand into his own. “Sure, John.” 

The green-haired man grinned, pulling Bruce over to the center of the room. He stopped them at what he thought was a good spot, glancing at the people around them. 

After a moment of just standing there, Bruce spoke up. “John, you don’t know how to dance, do you?”

John rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh.. yeah. Not really. I didn’t think you’d accept.”

Bruce gave him a small smile. “I’ll lead. We’ll go slow.” He placed one of John’s hands on his shoulder, then one of his own on John’s hip. John caught on and intertwined the fingers of their free hands. 

They stood there for another moment, and John was about to say something when he heard Bruce mumble something to himself. 

“Alright, it’s a slow song, you’ll be fine.” He looked up at John, but he was met with green hair, as John was staring at their feet to make sure he would get the moves right. “It’s better if you look at your partner.”

John lifted his head. “Oh, well, alright. I’m ready.”

It was slow going, but John followed Bruce’s pattern. The song even changed, and so did their pace, but John had no trouble with the transition. A few more people came onto the floor, and it was pretty easy for John to notice that they had a pretty decent bubble around them. 

“Don’t worry about the people around you.” Bruce said softly, and John nearly jumped out of his skin since they’d been dancing in silence. 

“Bruce, did you just… read my mind?”

“Yeah. I have telepathy.” Bruce deadpanned. His serious expression quickly vanished. “Kidding, you tense up whenever you’re nervous, and your hand twitched like you wanted to rub the back of your neck.”

John raised his eyebrows. “Yeesh, that was quite the answer.” He glanced at the room around them. “I just don’t get it.”

“I hate to sound so cruel, but half of these people will be dead in ten years.” Bruce replied, and John giggled, grinning at him. 

“Thanks for dancing with me. I’m sure I’m a lousy partner.”

Bruce shook his head. “You’re not. You’re a fast learner, and dancing in front of strangers isn’t easy.”

“You seem to have it all down pretty well.”

“I’m lucky. All I have to do is smile and shake hands and people like me… or, they like my money. You just have to fake it.”

John huffed. “But that’s so lame. You’re not even you around these people.” He began to lose the sway of the song that was playing. He and Bruce practically had this same conversation every time they went to an event like this, and it just pissed John off more and more. 

“John, come here.” 

They stopped moving, and John wrapped his arms around Bruce’s shoulders. He took a deep breath as Bruce pulled him close, and he rested his head on Bruce’s shoulder. 

“It’s not fair, Bruce.”

“I know.”

“You shouldn’t have to hide. I know how some people are when it comes to our relationship.” 

“People make such a big deal out of it. It’s so stupid.” Bruce rubbed John’s shoulder. “Come on, we can get out of here.”

John pulled away slightly. “You’re serious?”

“I already made my donation. The only thing that’s left for us here is wallowing in sadness due to societal expectations. And possibly getting drunk.” 

***

John felt the emptiness of the manor. 

It was odd, Alfred was so quiet and hardly took up any space, but John felt the hole that he’d left. 

All Alfred wanted for Christmas was a paid two week vacation, which Bruce gave him without a second thought. 

“It’s your first Christmas without Alfred.” John said suddenly. They were sitting in the kitchen, eating crepes that John had made for breakfast. 

Bruce looked over at him, his mouth full of crepe. “Since I’ve been home, I guess. Right after school I was away for Christmas, and he never left when I was a kid. First one where I’ve been home and he’s been.. at his other home.” 

“He has family in Europe?” John poured some chocolate chips onto his crepe. “He never told me.” 

“Mostly friends, but some family. Nieces, cousins.” 

“And you don’t have.. any of those.” John pointed his fork at Bruce. “Your parents were both only children?”

“As far as I know. I think my grandparents all visited when I was first born, but I don’t have any memories really. My parents held me tight.”

“And Alfred held- holds- you even tighter.” John glanced over as Batsy hopped onto the counter. He was much larger now, almost no longer a kitten. He purred loudly, laying down into a loaf. John rubbed his head. “Don’t worry, Batsy, we bought you a bunch of toys for Christmas. We can break into them soon!” 

Bruce let out a soft sigh. “It’s a miracle he didn’t knock over the tree.” 

“Bruce, the tree is like 20 feet tall.” 

“And? He’s an energetic kitten. And if we’re being honest, he would’ve given you one look and you would’ve helped him knock it over.” 

John huffed. “Maybe. But once the holiday is over it’s fair game.” 

“If you really want, you can empty the water from it after we take all the decorations off and knock it over outside.” 

John finished a piece of his crepe. “Alright! Knocking over large objects for fun!”

The two finished breakfast and John practically dragged Bruce over to the living room where the Christmas tree and presents were. He was so excited to have a real Christmas. 

Stockings were, of course, first. Both of them had gotten each other mostly food for the stockings, a few snacks with chocolate and sweets that they knew the other liked. John let Batsy ‘unwrap’ his toys and had broken into one of the containers. Batsy began to bat around one of the balls while John and Bruce opened their gifts. 

Bruce opened the beanie John had gotten for him. 

“Now you have two beanies you can wear! Double beanies equals double warmth!” John grinned. 

“Thanks, John. I’ve had my other one for years. I’m.. not sure about the whole ‘double warmth’ thing, though.”

John opened his gift. Bruce had done a lot better at wrapping than he had. He removed the paper, and his face lit up. “Bruce, how much did.. never mind, I don’t wanna know.”

Bruce had gotten him a makeup pallet. It had different blushes and eyeshadows, and a few slots were in place for eyeliner. John glanced up from the makeup, to Bruce, to the makeup. “Oh I’ll have to do your makeup sometime!”’

John watched as Bruce turned pink. “Uhm, well, I got it for you, but if you want you can.” 

“Darker colors will look best on you for sure. Oh, I’ll do it some other time.” 

John had also gotten Bruce a blue sweatshirt, mostly for working out in. It was light enough to provide some warmth, but also to make sure Bruce didn’t have any extra weight dragging him down. 

Bruce got John a purple sweater. John promptly threw it over his head, not even stopping to take the tags off of it. 

After a few minutes, John found his way into Bruce’s arms and they snuggled on the couch together. Bruce played with John’s hair as John nuzzled his neck. They listened to Batsy bat around his toy on the floor, meowing when he batted it to the corner and had to chase after it. 

“Remember, we have dinner reservations tonight.” Bruce said softly. 

“Tonight. It’s barely past noon.” John replied. “We have some time to ourselves.” He pushed himself up on his elbows and kissed Bruce, hovering over him. 

Bruce returned the kiss, then rubbed John’s side. “Let’s go upstairs. I don’t have anything down here that can help us.”

John giggled. “What, you don’t carry around lube everywhere?”

“Do you?”

“Well.. no. I don’t have any on me right now.” 

“Come on, babe. We don’t have any time to waste.”

**Author's Note:**

> BIG OOF. Deciding what to write took me forever for this, and then I was debating making it smut, and then I decided I didn't want to end it after the dancing and... yeah. This literally started as a 'I want them to dance for the first time' fic, and then I went off the deep end. Oops.   
> Anyway, this is posted late because I watched 9 episodes of Gotham today, then remembered that I wanted to get this in right before Christmas.   
> But anyway, happy holidays, guys! :) After this I'll probably start catching up on all the batjokes fanfic I've missed (I've just been too busy to check or too tired at night to stay up and read for the past three weeks or so). I have no idea what my next fic will be, I'm getting really into Gotham so it may be something from that, but I'm sure I'll write a Valentine's Day fic for these two which will likely be smut. I've tried to write some 'Dark Bruce' fics but I haven't had any inspiration. I'm open to requests, of course.   
> As always, thanks for reading, guys, and I'll see you in 2019!


End file.
